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Jul 2023
1h 7m

"Barbie Girl" by Aqua

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About this episode

Barbie Fever has swept TMI thanks to Greta Gerwig's upcoming film, and Jordan forces Alex to discuss the making of one of the most polarizing hits of the '90s. You'll learn all about the doll's surprisingly scandalous backstory in the German red-light district, the band Aqua’s confounding fixation on Rick Astley, and the lengthy lawsuit that resulted from the hit song, and why it won't appear in the new movie. Alex's hatred of "Barbie Girl" leads to an expansive sidebar on the history of pop music as a method of torture, while Alex ponders his revenge on Jordan for making him talk about this song in the first place. It's a wild and shockingly dark journey through the world of Europop, feminism, toy manufacturing and the War on Terror — so let's go party! 

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